The Magic Goes Away
by Wetdry
Summary: AU. Faced with losing the one thing separating them from muggles, can the wizards find their place in the world?
1. Chapter 1

It was a typical day at Hogwarts... that is, until Hermione's magic quit working.

"Why doesn't my magic do anything?" pleaded Hermione.

"It's because you're a mudblood!" quipped Malfoy.

"9000 points from Slytherin!" said McGongle, or however you spell her name. "And your detention will be picking Hagrid's nose for him!"

"That's gross!"

"Oh, do you want it to be a MILLION points from your house?"

"We don't even have a - I mean, no ma'am." Malfoy went off to do his detention.

The professor turned her attention back to Hermione. "Maybe you should go see the school nurse."

Hermione did just that, only to find nothing particularly wrong with her. The nurse's best guess was that she'd just tired herself out with her recent showing-off; being muggle-born, Hermione had that much more to prove.

As it turned out, the problem wasn't confined to just Hermione. Other wizards and witches began having problems with diminishing magic. They were affected regardless of sex or level of "blood purity". By month's end, none of them were able to perform any proper magic. All classes were suspended until the problem could be solved.

"This blows," said Ron. "I miss being able to do magic!"

"On the plus side," said Hermione, "Voldemort and his followers-"

"AAAAARGH YOU SAID THE NAME!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "As I was saying, they too are affected by whatever's happening and, without their magic, they've proved to be no match for the Ministry. We've won!"

"I just wish we'd won a different way," lamented Harry.

"You're just mad 'cause your destiny was taken away."

"Maybe...?"

They then went on their Christmas break. Among other things, Harry had to explain to the Weasleys, yet again, that Coca-Cola did NOT invent Santa Claus.

Hermione, for her part, spent the time with her parents. Being muggles, they of course had NO idea what their daughter was going through, and at times things got awkward.

Thankfully, they were soon back at school.

Unfortunately, whatever problem they had was still unsolved. Worse yet, the ghosts had all disappeared. Peeves was still around, but his connection to our world was eroding. Also, their paintings were beginning to de-animate.

One day, the students were all called into the main hall.

"Greetings!" said Dumbledore. "I have some important and distressing news for you all."

He waited for everyone's attention.

"As you all know, our magic powers have been disappearing at an alarming rate, and and other things have been happening. The Ministry has been looking into this for this past month, trying to figure out what the cause is, and they've found the answer. You'd best all brace yourselves."

The students looked around at each other, than back to Dumbledore.

"Their conclusion is that magic itself has run its course in this world. It is disappearing and, sometime in the near future, it will crap out altogether and we will all become muggles forever."

There are no words for how quiet the room was upon that announcement. 


	2. Chapter 2

They filed out of the hall, still trying to process what Dumbledore had just told them.

The next week, it was announced that magical education would be halted permanently and the students would have unlimited free time at Hogwarts, pending the school's closure.

The Trio was in the Griffindor common room.

"I don't believe this," said Ron.

"I should've known this wouldn't last," said Hermione.

"No, it's not fair!" said a first-year muggle-born girl. "I finally got to be special, I finally had something my neighbors didn't, and now it's all being taken away!" She cried her eyes out onto another girls shoulder.

"What's her deal?" said Harry.

"I guess some of us are taking it harder than others," said Hermione. "Just imagine how the old pureblood families are reacting."

"Good for them, I say," Ron said. "Those families have been dissing us Weasleys as 'blood traitors' for as long as I can remember. Now they'll have to eat their words."

"I'm kind of worried, though. How are wizards going to integrate into muggle society?"

"Beats me," said Harry.

Later that week, it was officially announced that no new students would be accepted, and that Hogwarts would close at the end of the term. Families of first-years would all be getting partial refunds. Until the school's closure, students would be free to decided whether or not to stay on the premises. Many chose to leave early.

Hermione was among those who were staying.

"Now that it's actually happening," she said, "it's hard to believe. Once I leave this place, that's it. Both for my time here, and my being a witch. It's sad, really."

"And to think I actually believed my life was going to change," said Harry.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." He walked away and went back to their common room. With the paintings now completely inactive, he had to open the door the old-fashioned way.

Without any other place to call home, Harry would have to go back to living with the Dursleys full-time. He could already imaging the ridicule Uncle Vernon would give him once he heard about the magic going away. Harry punched the wall a few times, flipped over a table and few chairs, and briefly considered throwing himself out a window.

In the end, apathy won out over his suicidal impulse.

By the end of Hogwarts' final term, magic had all but degraded to nothing. Only a handful were able to do even the most basic spells, and half the time the spells were misfiring or having harmful side effects.

The students filed out of the school for the last time, boarding the Hogwarts Express as the headed into the muggle world to begin their new, non-magical lives.

"What am I going to do?" said Hermione. "I followed that stupid letter, and walked away from what could've been a good education. Now, I'm just some girl who wasted valuable time learing useless nonsense!"

"My dad practically worships the muggles," said Ron. "I bet he's happy he's now one of them."

"I take it you don't share that feeling," said Harry.

"Someday, you'll figure out that just because they're your parents doesn't mean they're always ri-"

The train stopped. 


	3. Chapter 3

Everyone was flung forward by the Hogwarts Express' sudden stoppage.

"What was that?" said Ron.

"From what I hear," said Hermione, "this train runs on magic. Or at least, it did."

"So now we're stranded?"

"I'm sure the Ministry will send help."

Sure enough, Ministry officials soon showed up, using entirely non-magical means to do so. They managed to get the Express running again by giving feeding coal - a muggle fuel - into its usually-unused boiler. The train began running again, and the Ministry officials rode it all the way back to London.

A few days later, it was declared that all magic had disappeared forever. With no further purpose, the Ministry of Magic dissolved itself permanently.

Harry was almost at the Durselys' place, his place of torment, when he stopped to think a moment. With Voldemort neutralized, there was no need for him to go back to that place ever again.

He turned and walked the other way, vowing to cut all ties with his relatives.

He wandered the streets, still trying to process what had happened over the last few months. Just a few months ago, he was the Boy Who Lived, destined to fight the Dark Lord Voldemort in a great contest of magic.

Now? He was just an "ordinary" boy, with no proper education to his name.

Maybe Uncle Vernon was right. Maybe magic had been a load of crap after all.

Just then, Harry was jumped by three ex-Death Eaters.

"Why are you attacking me?" Harry demanded.

"We may not be wizards anymore," one of them said, "but that doesn't erase our grudge against you!"

They were about to attack him when muggle cops arrived and arrested all four of them.

Harry spent over three hours in detention before an officer came to talk to him.

"One day as one of us," said the officer, "and already you're causing us trouble."

"That's not fair!" Harry protested. "They started it, and I..." He paused a moment. "Wait, what?"

"Don't play dumb! Your one of those wizards, aren't you?"

"I have no no idea what -!"

"It's okay, your cover is already completely blown. Recently, we've gained accessed to areas that, until recently, your magic had redirected us away from. Also, we're finding the remains of various weird looking creatures all over the country."

No doubt magical creatures, Harry thought, no longer viable without magic.

"Yes, I was a wizard," Harry finally admitted.

"Was?"

"That's right. There's no more magic in this world so, technically, there are no wizards anymore."

Harry was released, since there was no evidence of wrongdoing on his part. His wizarding world money was now worthless, so he found shelter whereever he could, until he could afford an apartment. For now, various odd jobs were the best he could do.

One day, he was walking by a TV when he saw a news report about "strange new people" emerging into their society, along with their "shockingly unbelievable story".

The one-time existence of the wizarding world had just become public knowledge. 


	4. Chapter 4

All the channels in Britain were running nonstop news of a newly-revealed "race" of people who, until recently, possessed magical abilities.

It was then disclosed, by ex-Ministry officials, that these "wizards" had once lived alongside regular humans, until a law was passed separating the two peoples. For centuries, wizards had lived in their own society, along with various "magical creatures" that had also inhabited this world.

These creatures were now extinct.

Despite being made "normal," Harry had never felt more like a freak.

On the upside, he was finally able to get a full-time job. It didn't pay much, and he had to give up the lifestyle he'd enjoyed back at Hogwarts, but at least he could get off the streets. All he had in his new place was a sleeping bag and some nonperishable food he kept in a corner.

Still, he was surviving, and for now that was all that mattered.

One day, he got a visit from Ron.

"Didn't expect to see you so soon," said Harry. "How you doing?"

"Pretty well, all things considered," said Ron. "Dad's made use of his love of muggle items to start a pawn shop, and it's actually making him more money than his old Ministry job."

"And your mum's okay with this?"

"I think she's too numb from it all to raise much objection to anything right now." Ron laughed. "Besides, being able to properly care for us all should silence her protests."

"And Hermione?"

"She's decided to try to catch up on her muggle education, and possibly go into dentistry."

"Another thing, Ron? You should stop using the world 'muggle'. We're no longer any different from them."

"Yeah, I know."

Ron left for home, leaving Harry once again by himself.

This went on for another week or so when Harry began feeling ill. At first he passed it off as the summer cold, but it continued to get worse. Then one day, while at work, he collapsed.

He was rushed to the local hospital. There, to his shock, were a large number of other former wizards.

Including the entire Weasley family.

Fortunately, the one-time top Ministry officials convinced to change the leftover gringotts for pounds, with which they paid for all this health care.

Unfortunately, their conditions didn't improve, nor were the doctors able to discover anything medically wrong with them.

Then, they came to a horrifying realization.

Having once been wizards, they were beings of magic, much like the creatures that had once lived alongside them. They were so used to immersion in magic that their bodies were unequipped for long-term removal from it.

In short, the ex-wizards were all dying, and there was nothing anyone could do. 


	5. Chapter 5

Within a week, over a fifth of the ex-wizards had died of their "magic withdrawal". While former Ministry officials tried to reassure muggles that their affliction wasn't contagious, the masses were not convinced.

That, and the presence of "those people" was beginning to stir up resentment and unrest among the general populace, both in Britain and around the world.

To head off a potential disaster, governments began placing ex-wizards in "protective isolation" in facilities located away from cities and towns.

The two worlds were once again separated. Only this time the muggles were the ones in control.

As Harry settled into the camp, he met Draco.

"How are you?" said Harry. "Where are your parents -?"

"MY PARENTS ARE DEAD!" Draco yelled as he slapped Harry.

"So that's a topic to leave alone?"

"Ya think!"

A brief, awkward silence crept in between them.

"Y'know," Harry said, "eventually you do get used to it."

"Not that it matters," said Draco, "since I'm going to be joining them soon. As will all of us."

Within less than a month, no "purebloods" remained alive. The half-bloods were hanging on longer, but their deaths were only a matter of time.

On the other hand, the "muggle-borns" were beginning to recover from their ailments. Apparently, being of purely "muggle" descent, they were best able to adjust to non-magical life. They were released, and were allowed to live out their lives as "normal" people.

That just left the remaining half-bloods.

Harry and Snape were now sharing a tent.

"I wonder how Hermione's doing," said Harry.

"Miss Granger?" said Snape. "She's bright. If anyone can make the best of this, it's her." He shook his head. "This is no doubt the world's way of punishing us for how we treated people like her."

"You mean bookworms?"

Snape facepalmed. "Yes, bookworms. You would find some way to joke about our situation."

Harry sighed. "It's either laugh or cry, and I've had more than enough of the latter."

"Fair enough."

Eventually, the detainess were released, on the condition that they leave Britain forever. As they boarded the planes of their choice, with state-bought tickets, they said goodbye to their homeland.

Harry's and Snape's flight took off.

"So, I guess we part ways after this, right?" said Harry. "Mr. Snape? Severus? Can you hear me?"

But Snape moved no more.

"No, this can't be!" Harry, said, crying. 


	6. Chapter 6

Harry was immediately turned away by the country where he got off the plane. He was stuck at the airport with no place to call home.

Fortunately, he was allowed to board a cruiseliner that had other ex-wizards on board. Several governments pooled their money to buy this ship, in exchange for a promise by its residents never to enter any territorial waters.

Harry found himself out at sea, surrounding by the vanishing remnants of what had been the wizarding world.

Soon, even that would be denied to him. Harry was now once again the Boy Who Lived, this time in a much different - and temporary - sense.

By now, all the others' bodies had been dumped overboard. Harry hated himself for disposing of the remains in such a manner, but there was really no other choice.

He had a large ship to himself, and it was the most miserable experience he'd ever had.

He'd even go back to being in that cupboard, if it meant escaping this hell.

There would be no escape.

Soon, Harry knew he was at the end of his life. Had he known his life, and the wizarding world, would end like this, he would've let Voldemort kill him and take the sorceror's stone. Just let Voldie rule over a doomed world. Harry laughed so hard his chest hurt. Or maybe that was his lungs beginning to shut down.

He was ready to lie down and accept his passing when a nearby phone rang.

Shocked back into reality, he got up and walked over to the phone. He picked it up.

"Hello?" said a somewhat confused Harry.

"Oh thank god," said a familiar voice.

"Hermione?"

"Yes, it's me," said Hermione. "I was calling phones all over the ship, hoping you'd be there to answer."

"I'm so glad to hear your voice," said Harry.

"Likewise. I never got a chance to talk to you after we all split up, and there were so many things I wanted to say -"

"It's okay, Hermione. It's okay. Let's just take this time to say what we can."

"For what little it's worth now, this whole time I've had feelings for you."

"I sorta knew. I felt the same way, but I could never find the words. Now..."

"I know. Believe me, I know. I just wanted to get that out while I had the chance."

Harry didn't respond.

"Harry?" Hermione said. "Harry, are you there?"

Harry didn't hear her. He'd dropped the receiver when he collapsed. Not that he could answer anyway; his lungs had finally given out.

As his consciousness faded, he thought about all the things he regretted doing, or not doing. He wished, more than anything, that he hadn't been born a wizard, so that he could have a shot at a full life.

That was the last thought Harry Potter ever had.

[A/N: While Harry's story is over, there's one more chapter to go in this fic.] 


	7. Chapter 7

After the Magic Went Away

By Helen Niles

It's been several years since the so-called "wizarding world" made itself known to us, only to disappear shortly afterward. The shock of knowing that "magic" had been practiced under our noses this whole time cannot be overstated. Nor could our reactions to realizing that this magic had vanished from our planet, possibly forever.

I did some digging, and found out some things about this "wizarding world" that even the wizards never knew... or at least most of them. It turns out that, as early as the first "Voldemort War," the Ministry knew their "magic" was beginning to fail them; this was the real reason Voldemort's curse failed to kill the so-called Boy Who Lived. They devoted much of their time and resources to halting this decay, to no avail.

It was to avoid any distractions from this project, in fact, that Fudge pretended not to notice Voldemort's return, and had the rest of the Ministry follow suit. Obviously, this backfired worse than he could've imagined, but this was born of a very real need to focus on one major problem at a time.

My curiosity piqued, I went in deeper, to find out what else had been kept from the wizards, and from us. What I learned would no doubt have them soiling themselves.

I turned out that the existence of "magic" was far more recent than their official history would have them believe. No wizard, I discovered, is shown by any hard evidence to have existed prior to 1492.

Yeah, I can hear it already: "Helen, you ignorant fool! Columbus didn't discover the New World!" Nor do I claim he did. What I do claim, though, is that what he DID discover is the key is creating what came to be known as the wizarding world.

But that secret would, at first, be beyond my reach.

I set that aside for the time being and noticed a pattern among the "magical creatures": none of them are shown to have any history other than that of living alongside humans. I eventually found evidence that humans had, in fact, used magic to create these various species. No surprise, one should think, since many of them could never have evolved naturally. Still, that was but a brief distraction from my ultimate goal.

That goal being to understand the source and nature of the wizards' "magic". I was already beginning to suspect it wasn't as magical as its users had come to believe it was.

I took the first available flight to London, to make an appointment with the Prime Minister. To my surprise, I was able to get in once I explained by purpose. I went into his office, where he presented to me what looked like a strange alien device.

That, I quickly learned, was because it was an alien device. It was found in the New World by Columbus and his crew. They brought it back to his sponsors. There, they quickly realized it could be used to infuse humans with "magical powers". This was the genesis of the first wizards.

The device would eventually be surrendered to British custody, in exchange for territorial concessions. Not that it mattered, since it continued to have its effects on the descendants on Spain's first wizards. It was at first kept with the monarch, but in time the Prime Minister would come to have possession of it.

Actually, the effects of the device had long since spread to other countries. All over the world, Kings and other officials had their own wizards at their disposal. To keep this from becoming an open magical war, the wizards were kept secret, and living apart from their non-magical brethren. To further enforce this, leaders of the various magical communities worked together to gradually create a false history for their "wizarding world". All the signs pointing to this world predating the device's discovery were faked using, you guessed it, "magic".

The British also used their device to create various species of "magical creatures" to maitain the illusion of a world where wizards could've come from.

In short, everything the wizards "knew" about themselves and their world was a lie. In addition, the "ignorant" governments of the "muggle world" actually knew the truth the whole time. Part of that truth being that the device would eventually run out of power, and had been gradually shutting down since at least 1969! That would partially explain the large number of "squibs" (magic-less descendants of wizards) born after that.

In truth, the so-called "Latin" used in their incantations should've been a red flag. Such ungrammatical phrases were, in fact, made up on the spot when the "wizards" felt the need to create an illusion of ancient magical heritage for any descendants who might care about such things.

Not only that, but once the device ceased functioning, wizards were no longer able to survive. Only the "muggle-borns" - that is, first-generation wizards that were still being created by the device - avoided this fate. It is still unknown why this is the case, not helped by these former wizards largely refusing to discuss "magic" in any way.

Once I knew all that, the magic, so to speak, had been sucked out of the wizarding world.

Not only that, but "muggles" were never as fooled as "wizards" were led to believe. The governments of our world were fully aware of all "unplottable" locations, but feigned ignorance to help maintain the wizards' delusions of secrecy. Not only that, but the British government in particular, secretly used the device to keep track of all wizards throughout the world. (This, naturally, became compromised when the device began to fail.) Finally, the wizards had been conditioned to keep their non-magical technologies primitive, to further keep them under control.

Oh, and that "wizard-muggle war" everyone likes to write about. Yeah, we "muggles" would've won, with all the anti-magic countermeasures our modern technology affords us. That, and modern weaponry, which it turns out wouldn't even be slowed down by their "counter-magic".

That said, some have made an effort to recharge the device's batteries, in order to revive the "magic". I for one oppose these efforts, not the least of which because we've outgrown any need for magic in our world. The technology we have now can easily match anything the device can give us, and do so more reliably. That, and I can't stand a though of a repeat of what happened in our history, with a class of humans being deceived and exploited by a ruling elite. Let us ensure that such a thing never happens again.

This has been Helen Niles, amateur historian. Thank you for reading this.

(Editor's note: this was written shortly before the outbreak of what is now known as the Magic Revival War. To this day, attempts to reactivate the device have all failed, and are most likely futile.)

[A/N: Holy crap, this chapter got away from me! Hope you didn't get bored reading it. Oh yeah, and: THE END] 


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